Vision boards are a handy visual for bringing your dreams to life, and you can use them to achieve your career goals too. They are put together with an intentional process and referred to when you need to focus on what’s important and where you want to be. They are useful because they are concrete and help you with visualization, which is a technique we know works for athletes and performers. When you want to make some changes in your career, creating a vision board is a good place to start.
Choose a medium. Common vision boards include images cut from magazines, but you can use any medium you like. You could also print images you find online or even draw them yourself. If language speak to you more than images, perhaps your board will be mostly full of words and phrases. There are also scrapbooking apps you can use to create a vision board totally online and that you can carry with you on your phone or tablet.
Focus on feelings. When creating a vision board, this is one time your feelings really matter. Instead of thinking about placing tangible things on your vision board, like making $1,000,000 or closing 20 transactions, think about how achieving those things will make you feel. Do you want to feel more security? More recognition? A sense of accomplishment? When you’re bringing together your images, focus on the more intangible emotions than concrete results.
Think small at first. One strategy you can use when setting goals for yourself is to start small. What this does is create reachable mile markers for yourself so that you create a bunch of “wins.” And when you experience wins, this builds your confidence and propels you to reach even more goals. So, if this is your first time creating a vision board, it’s okay to think small like finding images that reflect something simple like leaving work on time for a better work-life balance. As you create more vision boards in the future, your goals can get loftier.
One helpful thing about a vision board is you can constantly change it. Swapping pictures in and out or starting completely over is always an option when you feel stuck or like you want to move to the next level. Remember, vision boards take action on your part too. When you want to transform, bringing a vision board to life will involve taking steps, and as your belief in yourself grows, so will your confidence to take these actions. When you couple these actions with the vision board that helps focus your mind and heart on what you want to feel, you’ll change the future of your career.